Improvement in watches



THOMAS JOHNSON, OF ELMIRA, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 58,427, dated October 2, 1866.

io all whom it may cancela:

Be it known that I, THOMAS JOHNSON, of Elmira, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVatches; and [do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the sa-me, reference being had to the annexed drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon.

The first branch of my improvements relates to the adjustment of the cock to the plate of the watch by means of a pillar and pin. This part has been heretofore fastened down to the plate by a small screw, and it has been found, after having removed the cock a number of times for cleaning or repairs of parts, the thread in the plate becomes so much worn that the screw loses the iirm hold absolutely essential forit to have consequently the cock yields, though slightly, yet sufficient to disturb the balance and cause the watch to vary as a timekeeper. It is also true, in consequence of the great strain upon the screwhead when the cock is fastened down in the old way, that the head has been frequently found broken off. In such cases injury generally results to the pivots and jewels of the cock and foot.

The second branch of my improvements relates to the controlment ofthe hair-sprin g stud by means of a segment-screw. This part has heretofore been fastened down to the plate by a line screw taking into the soft metal of which said plate is always composed. Here, again, the thread in the plate becomes so much worn, after a short use, that the screw will not hold itself therein very firmly. By means of the segmentscrew I am enabled to obvia-te this dif- Y flculty, as the removal from and screwing back into the plate is done away with, the segmentscrew needing only a slight turn, either to make it engage with or to free itself from the stud. Besides, my segment-screw working outside ofthe body of the stud, I am able to make it of greater diameter, thereby giving increased strength and durability, not only to the screw, but to the hair-sprin g stud as well, and there is consequently greater convenience in manipulating.

The third branch of my improvements relates to a regulator, by means of which the watch is more accurately and quickly adjusted to the correct time. IV-atchmakers find it quite a diicult and tedious operation to get their watches, after cleaning and repairs, to keep good time, on account of the imperfections in the system of regulating in use. By reason of my improvement in this respect inexperienced persons can regulate their watches without any trouble or assistance.

The fourth branch of my improvements relates to a click-work, which is attached, as is usual, to the lower end of the arbor of the barrel containing the mainspring, some of the advantages gained by my improvements in this part of the watch being the prevention of unequal wear and strain upon the contiguous shoulder of the arbor and the arbor-bearing in the plate of the watch, and the prevention of injury to the barrel and mainspring by the holding up of the mainspring if one clickspring should become fractured or broken; also greater simplicity and durability of parts, by reason of combining the click and spring, as arrange-d, in one piece.

The fifth branch of my improvements relates to a stop-work, whereby I am enabled to prevent the strain of the key, at the termination of the operation of winding, from going on to the train. In watches containing what is known as the anchor-stop work, when the required number of turns have been made on the arbor of the barrel containing the mainspring, and the male and female stops have also rotated a certain distance, the latter become locked and the key ceases to turn any farther. The sudden strain caused by this looking is imparted to the train, and proves injurious to the watch by causing it to wear out more rapidly. My improvement here relieves the train from this sudden and injurious strain by transferring it wholly to the upper plate of the watch, so that the movement is never injured or worn ont in this respect, or by reason of hurried or careless winding.

The sixth branch of my improvements relates to an auxiliary stop-work and hook. Heretofore the outer end of the spring has been fastened to the inner periphery of the barrel by means of a hook. There is "also, at a short distance from this hook, a small and thin piece of steel rigidly attached at right angles to the spring by two or three rivets. This latter contrivance-auxiliary stopis frequently employed as the only stop-work, especially in common watches. Now, by means of my improvement, I effect by one device the functions of the two above described, doing away entirely with the old hook and improving the utility of the auxiliary stop-work.

rlhe seventh branch of my improvements relates to an arrangement of the teeth on the outer periphery of the barrel containing` the mainsprin 0. In all watches manufactured the teeth upon the periphery of the barrel are now placed close down upon the edge. It consequently frequently occurs that when the mainspring breaks the barrel is either fractured or burst open 5 and it is not unusual to see this barrel and its arbor, when the spring is all wound up, out of true, or in a cocked position. Now by this improvement I impart such additional strength to the barrel that its fracture or injury will never occur through the breaking of the mainsprino. lt also prevents the barrel from assuming a cocked position, and any unequal wear or strain upon one shoulder of the arbor of this barrel.

The eighth branch of my improvements relates to the suspending of the cap-jewels upon the upper and lower pivots of the balancewheel arbor or other pivots of the watch. The cap-jewel heretofore has been inserted in a collar,{which is firmly screwed down to the plate or other partof the movement, thereby being rigidly fixed over the pivot. The consequence is that, when the watch receives a fall or a biow, some ofthe pivot-s or jewels (generally the pivot at the cock, it being the smallest one) get fractured or broken. My improvement enables the cap-jewels to yield to the pivots when the watch receives a sudden jar, thereby preventing injury to the pivotsv and both the cap and pivot jewels. Besides, by reason of my improvement in this respect, there is less cost in the manufacture, and time saved in the adjustment of the cap-jewels.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view of the. top plate of a watch movement, showing several of the above-referred-to improvements. Fig., 2 is a plan view of the under side of this top plate, or bridge-piece thereon, showing a plan of the face ratchet belonging to my improved stop-work. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of this face-ratchet through the line a a, Fig, 2, showing more clearly its construction. Fig. 4 is a plan view of my improved stop-work, showing theposition of the lip (a portion of the stop-work) which takes into the face-ratchet, the watch supposed to be run down. Fig. 5 is a side view of the barrel containing main-spring, 81e., when placed in a vertical position, showing the lip locking into the face-ratchet by being elevated by the projection upon the female stop coming round underneath it-thc watch now supposed to be fully wound up. Fig. 6 is a plan View of my improved click-work. Figs. 7 and S are detail views of my improved stop-work. Figs. 9 and 10 are views of my improved hook and auxiliary stop-work combined.

The scale of these drawings is twice the lineal measurement of the parts of a watchmovement.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A is the top plate. B is the bottom plate. C is the cock. D is the bridge, through which passes the arbor E. F is Vthe barrel containing the niainspring. G is a section of the spring, showing myimproved hook and auxiliary stopwork. H is the head or cap of the barrel, containing thereon my improved stop-work. 1 is the balance-wheel, broken away at one point in order to show more clearly my improvement in the regulator.

There is made upon the plate A a pillar at a, over which the cock passes and is firmly secured down to the plate by a cross-pin, b, passing immediately above its upper 'face and through this pillar, and running in a direction lengthwise with the cock C. The cock otherwise is constructed in the usual way.

Greater durability, besides facility of adjustment, is attained when this improved construction and arrangement of the cock is adopted.

c is the hair-spring stud, to which is attached one end of the hair-spring d. These are rcmovable from the plate together. The ordi' nary way of fastening this stud has been by screwing it down to the plate; but the screw, to pass through the stud, must be made very small, and frequentremoval and reinsertion of this small screw very soon wears away the thread cut in the plate, as before stated. l therefore, instead of placing the screw through the body of the stud, insert it in the plate by its side, and cut such a segment from oif of the dat head ot the screw as to enable the stud to be elevated and removed from the plate when no part of the segment c (the portion of the head remaining) bears upon the top surface of the stud. It is evident from the operation of this segment-screw that it need never be removed from the plate, and the small movement made in its manipulation to release or fasten down the stud will not materially wear the thread in the plate.

f is yan arm, bifurcated atf ff, and having a movement at its other end about the arbor of the balance-wheel as a center, but not in contact therewith. g is another arm, moving on the screw or pin It as a center. t' is an eccentric enlargement at one endgof the arm g, coutained between j" j" The other end of this lastreferred-to arm rests upon the indicator-scale g. The hair-spring d is held between the two pinsgc c, and when, as in nearly all watches made, this arm extends direct to the indicatorscale, there is great difficulty in regulating the watcl1,because a sufliciently small adjustment cannot be made at each movement of the arm but by means of the combination of a short and a long lever, constructed and arranged in 1n anner aforesaid, l am enabled to have the pins holding and operating on the hair-spring pass through a smaller arc each time the watch is being regulated, and thereby get a closer adjustment in less time.

E is the arbor of the barrel F, and around which is coiled the maiuspring. k is a ratchetwheel on the carrier L of this arbor, and outside the lower plate, B, within a` circular recessed space thereon. Tithin this space, and bearing against the ratchet-wheel 7c, I place two clicks and springs, l Z, each click and its spring being formed in one piece, and being' placed against said wheel in such a manner that the force of 'one of these clicks, holding the arbor and mainspring coiled thereon, will be neutralized or counteracted by the other click. The spring of each respective click bears against the walls of this circular recessed space, and each click and spring` vibrates upon a fulcrum-pin, m m. These pins have bearings above in the bridge a across this space. A cap can be substituted for the bridge, which will completely inclose the click work, and in case either click gets fractured, will prevent the pieces from falling out and interfering with other parts of the watch. This construction and arrangement of click-work has many advantages, which have been before spoken of.

Heretofore, in that class of watches to which my improvement in the following respect applies, there is placed upon the head or cap of the barrel F. the stop-works. The male stop being situated on and moving with the arbor, tnrns'in connection with another stop arranged upon said head, (each stop having a motion in an opposite direction from the other,) and after the required number of revolutions made they lock together, the watch then being fully wound up, but the strain of the key'just at the termination ot' this winding is thrown upon the train. To obviate this I place at right angles through the axis of the arbor, just above the head of the barrel, a pin, which, when inserted, presents at either side a shoulder, o 0 then I place over these shoulders the male stop p, which is slotted at either side of the opening through which the arbor passes, so as to receive the said shoulders. This male stop is provided underneath, at q, with a stud to engage the stop r at each revolution and shift it the required distance. Above this stud, and projecting beyond, is an elevated lip, s, which, when the required number of turns have been made with the key, is brought in contact with a small projection, t, upon the female stop r, and is elevated upon this projection, so that the lip s takes into a faceratchet, a, (such position shown in Fig. 5,) construeted of steel, upon the under face of the bridge D, or upper plate, as case may be, thereby preventing the further winding of the watch, as well as throwing the strain consequent on the sudden arrest of the winding operation upon said bridge or plate, instead of upon the. train.

I bevel off the slots of the male stop, (shown ato o in Fig.S,) in which the shoulders o o are placed, so as to permit of the raising up of the lip s over the projection ton the female stop r at the time the winding operation is about being completed. As the mainspring uncoils by the ruiming of the watch, the lip s moves away from the projection t, and in order to have it assume the position it had before it moved up onto this projection and tool; into the face-ratchet, and be ready for duty at the next winding, I interpose the pressure-spring o between the male Stopp, containing lip s, and the face-ratchet a.

'w is the end of the mainspring, heretofore attached to the inner periphery of the barrel by means of a hook, the other end being secured to the arbor at te. On the end u, at a short distance from the termination of the spring, I place the narrow piece-of steel a, fastening it onto the concave or inner side of the spring, at right angles thereto, by means of a fulcru-nrrivet. This piece of steel projects above and below beyond the spring, and takes into the oblong openings yy made in the bottom and head or cap H of the barrel F. These openings are large enough to permit of a'play or movement of this piece of steel on a radial line to or from the arbor, and also of a movement concentric with it. Thus this device, as constructed and arranged, serves not only as a hook, but also, from its pressure 011 the radial line toward the arbor, acts as a stop-work. The piece or hook a', being on a fulcrumrivet, will adjust itself to any unequal pull or strain that may be given to the mainspring from any cause.

e are teeth upon the outer periphery of the barrel. By arranging the teeth upon the centrai portion of the periphery (arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 9) the advantages hereinbefore stated are secured.

et is thecap-jewel which forms an end-bearing for the pivot of the balance-wheel arbor. Usually this cap-jewel is inserted in a small collar and held down to the cock or plate by two or more screws in a rigid manner.

I take a small piece of steel, shaped into an arm or spring, a, and after having burnished the cap-jewel into a collar, b, the collar being' turned at its outer periphery so that it fits snugly into the spring, I then burnish the collar over the spring. The spring is then secured to the cocl; or other part of the movement, with the cap-jewel thus inserted. suspended upon, or overhanging, as it were, its proper pivot. The cock is a little recessed around the pivot-jewel, so as to form a seat for the cap-jewel so arranged. By suspend ing the cap-jewels, and thereby giving to the pivots elastic and yielding end bearings, I secure the advantages liereinbefore stated.

Vhat I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination and arrangement of the cock with the plate and its pillar and pin, when said pin is inserted in a direction running lengthwise with the cock, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination and arrangement of the hairspring stud With the segment-screw e, when constructed and operating snbstantiall y as herein shown and described. i

3. The combination of the arms or levers f g with the hair-spring d, constructed and operating substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination and arrangement of the clicks and springs with their ratchet, constructed and operating substantially as herein shown and described. 1

5. The arrangement of the clicks and clicksprings combined, and ratchet, Wit-l1 the bridge or cap inclosing them, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The combination of the face-ratchet u with the stopwork, constructed and operating` substantially as herein shown and described.

7. The male-stop p, when constructed Wit-h a lip, s, stud q, and beveled slots o o', as herein shown and described.

8. The hook and auxiliar)T stop-work .1:,con-

structed and operatin g substantially as herein shown and described.

9. The arrangement of the teeth upon the center of the periphery of the barrel containing the Inainspring, substantiallyT as herein shown and described.

10. The combination of a suspended capjewel7 by means of an elastic bearing, with a pivot, substantially as herein shown and described.

1l. The construction and arrangement of the jewel in the spring a", substantially as herein shown and described.

12. The method of forming in a watchmovement suspended elastic end bearings to the pivots, substantially as herein` shown and described.

THOMAS JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN CooHRANn, ANDREW J. ToDD. 

